Verbena plant named ‘Bodcomsal’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of Verbena plant named ‘Bodcomsal’, characterized by its compact, upright and mounded plant habit; freely branching habit; dense and bushy growth habit; dark green-colored leaves; and salmon orange-colored flowers with flowers held above and beyond the foliage.

Botanical classification/cultivar designation: Verbena hybrida cultivar Bodcomsal.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present Invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Verbena plant, botanically known as Verbena hybrida, and hereinafter referred to by the name ‘Bodcomsal’.

The new Verbena is a product of a planned breeding program conducted by the Inventor in Lompoc, Calif. The objective of the breeding program is to develop new Verbena cultivars with a dense and bushy growth habit, numerous flowers, and interesting flower and foliage colors.

The new Verbena originated from a cross-pollination made by the Inventor in July, 1997 of a proprietary Verbena hybrida selection identified as 7V377, not patented, as the female, or seed, parent with a proprietary Verbena hybrida selection identified as 7V378, not patented, as the male, or pollen, parent. The cultivar Bodcomsal was discovered and selected by the Inventor as a flowering plant within the progeny from this cross-pollination in a controlled environment in Lompoc, Calif.

Asexual reproduction of the new cultivar by terminal cuttings taken in a controlled environment in Lompoc, Calif. has shown that the unique features of this new Verbena are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations of asexual reproduction.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of ‘Bodcomsal’. These characteristics in combination distinguish ‘Bodcomsal’ as a new and distinct cultivar:

1. Compact, upright and mounded plant habit.

2. Freely branching habit; dense and bushy growth habit.

3. Dark green-colored leaves.

4. Salmon orange-colored flowers with flowers held above and beyond the foliage.

Plants of the new Verbena differ primarily from plants of the parent selections in plant habit and flower coloration.

Plants of the new Verbena can be compared to plants of the cultivar Obsession Coral Eye, not patented. In side-by-side comparisons conducted in Lompoc, Calif., plants of the new Verbena differed primarily from plants of the cultivar Obsession Coral Eye in plant and flower form as plants of the cultivar Obsession Coral Eye are more mounded and have narrower flower petals than plants of the new Verbena.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying colored photographs illustrate the overall appearance of the new cultivar, showing the colors as true as it is reasonably possible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in the photograph differ slightly from the color values cited in the detailed botanical description which accurately describe the colors of the new Verbena.

The photograph at the top of the sheet comprises a side perspective view of a typical flowering plant of ‘Bodcomsal’ grown in a container.

The photograph at the bottom of the sheet comprises a close-up view of typical inflorescences, flowers and leaves of ‘Bodcomsal’.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The cultivar Bodcomsal has not been observed under all possible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environment such as temperature and light intensity without, however, any variance in genotype. The aforementioned photographs and following observations and measurements describe plants grown in Lompoc, Calif., under commercial practice during the winter and spring in a polycarbonate-covered greenhouse with day temperatures about 18 to 24° C., night temperatures about 16 to 18° C., and light levels about 4,000 to 8,000 foot-candles. Cuttings were planted in 10-cm containers, pinched one time, and grown for about nine weeks. In the following description, color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 1995 Edition, except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used.

Botanical classification: Verbena hybrida cultivar Bodcomsal.

Parentage:

Female, or seed, parent.—Proprietary Verbena hybrida selection identified as 7V377, not patented.

Male, or pollen, parent.—Proprietary Verbena hybrida selection identified as 7V378, not patented.

Propagation:

Type cutting.—Terminal cuttings.

Time to initiate roots, summer.—About 7 to 10 days at 26° C.

Time to initiate roots, winter.—About 21 days at 26° C.

Time to produce a rooted cutting or liner, summer.—About 21 days at 26° C.

Time to produce a rooted cutting or liner, winter.—About 28 days at 26° C.

Root description.—Fine, fibrous; white in color.

Rooting habit.—Freely branching; dense.

Plant description:

Form.—Compact, upright and mounded plant habit.

Growth and branching habit.—Vigorous and freely-branching with about 18 lateral branches developing after the pinch, dense and bushy growth habit.

Plant height.—About 21 cm.

Plant diameter or spread.—About 27 cm.

Lateral branches.—Length: About 18 cm. Diameter: About 2 mm. Internode length: About 4.75 cm. Texture: Pubescent. Color: 144A.

Foliage description.—Arrangement: Opposite, simple. Length: About 4.5 cm. Width: About 2.5 cm. Shape: Oblong to deltoid. Apex: Acute. Base: Acute to attenuate. Margin: Irregularly crenate. Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Coarse, pubescent. Venation pattern: Pinnate. Color: Developing and fully expanded foliage, upper surface: 147A. Developing and fully expanded foliage, lower surface: 147B. Venation, upper and lower surfaces: 147B. Petiole: Length: About 8 mm. Diameter: About 2 mm. Color: 147B.

Flower description:

Flower type and habit.—Single upright salverform flowers arranged on compact terminal racemes; flowers sessile. Freely flowering with about 16 flowers and flower buds per raceme; about two to three racemes per lateral branch. Inflorescences positioned above and beyond the foliage. Flowers last about two to four days under greenhouse conditions. Flowers not persistent.

Fragrance.—None detected.

Flowering season.—In the garden, flowering is continuous from spring until fall.

Inflorescence height.—About 3.5 cm.

Inflorescence diameter.—About 6 cm.

Flower size.—Diameter: About 2 cm. Tube length: About 3.2 cm. Throat diameter: About 2.5 mm. Tube diameter, at base: About 2.5 mm.

Flower buds.—Rate of opening, from showing color to fully open flower: About 1 to 2 days. Length: About 1.2 cm. Diameter, apex: About 4 mm. Diameter, base: About 2.5 mm. Shape: Tubular, oblong. Color: 35C.

Petals.—Quantity/arrangement: Five per flower fused at base. Lobe length: About 1 cm. Lobe width: About 8 mm. Shape: Roughly cordate. Apex: Emarginate. Margin: Entire. Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Velvety, smooth. Color: When opening, upper surface; 39A. When opening, lower surface: 39C. Fully opened, upper surface: 48B; towards the base, 33C; color becoming closer to 23A with development. Fully opened, lower surface: 35C. Throat: 2C. Tube: Close to 144D.

Sepals.—Quantity/arrangement: Five, fused into a tube. Length: About 1.2 cm. Diameter: About 2 mm. Shape: Ligulate. Apex: Acute. Margin: Entire. Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Coarse, pubescent. Color, upper surface: 143D. Color, lower surface: 143A.

Peduncles.—Length: About 5 cm. Diameter: About 1.5 mm. Angle: Upright to about 45° from vertical. Strength: Strong. Color: 144A.

Reproductive organs.—Stamens: Quantity per flower: Four; adnate to pistil. Anther shape: Oval. Anther length: Less than 1 mm. Anther color: 144D. Pollen amount: Scarce. Pollen color: 2D. Pistils: Quantity per flower: One. Pistil length: About 2 cm. Stigma shape: Bi-parted. Stigma color: 144D. Style length: About 1.8 cm. Style color: 144D. Ovary color: 144C.

Fruit/seed.—Fruit and seed production has not been observed.

Disease/pest resistance: Plants of the new Verbena have not been observed to be resistant to pathogens and pests common to Verbena.

Temperature tolerance: Plants of the new Verbena have been observed to be tolerant to temperatures ranging from 2 to 40° C. 

It is claimed:
 1. A new and distinct cultivar of Verbena plant named ‘Bodcomsal’, as illustrated and described. 